A punch press system is often used to progressively form shapes out of sheets of metal and other material.
In this application the punch press system combines punching devices, each composed of a punch and a die set, and a material transfer table which permits arbitrary positioning of a work sheet. Punching is performed automatically at high speed in successive positions of the work sheet. By making each successive punching step immediately adjacent to the position of the hole formed by the prior punching step and repeating this operation, a band shaped, continuous hole is produced. By utilizing this process, a punched-out form of arbitrary shape may be obtained.
Cutting out an arbitrary shape from a work sheet has been done using a laser cutting and this method has achieved remarkable development in recent years, but the method of punching out desired shapes as above described using a punch-press is still far quicker.
In the above progressive punching method, the punched-out form obtained by punching the work sheet in the desired profile was separated from the work sheet at the punching station, making it difficult to remove the punched out form from within the remainder of the sheet; and this was thus often done manually, with the attendant hazard to the operator and interruption to the punching process. Alternately, this could be accomplished by stopping the punching operation, moving the whole of the work sheet to the operator's side by operation of the work transfer table, whereby the punched-out form, being loose inside the punched profile hole, was able to be manually but safely removed by the operator. This approach however slows the process considerably.
There has not heretofore been provided a transporting device for removing the work from the punching station due to the great variety of work shapes which may be encountered, the need for dies to be fixed below the work and the use of a great variety of die shapes loaded into turrets or magazines located at the punching station.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for progressive forming by punching which enables complete automation including automatic handling of the punched out port after completion of the punching operation.